Mahapadma Nanda

Mahapadma Nanda
Coin of Mahapadma Nanda
A silver coin of 1 karshapana of King Mahapadma Nanda or his sons (345-321 BCE)
First Emperor of Nanda Empire
Reign c. 345 – c. 329 BCE
Predecessor Mahanandin
Successor Dhana Nanda
Issue
  • Dhana Nanda
  • Pandhuka Nanda
  • Panghupati Nanda
  • Bhutapala Nanda
  • Rashtrapala Nanda
  • Govishanaka Nanda
  • Dashasidkhaka Nanda
  • Kaivarta Nanda
  • Karvinatha Nanda (illegitimate son)
  • Chander Nand(Chander Gupt Mourye)
Dynasty Nanda
Father Mahanandin
Mother a Shudra queen

Mahapadma Nanda (IAST: Mahāpadmānanda; c. 403 – c. 329 BCE) was the first Emperor of the Nanda Empire. According to the Puranas and Vishakhadatta's Mudrarakshasa he was believed to be the son of a poor barber.

    • Chander Nand (Chander Gupt) Was Son Of King Mahapdamnand and his Second queen Mura

Names

The first Nanda bore the name of Mahapadma or Mahapadmapati (sovereign of an infinite host or of immense wealth) according to the Puranas, and Ugrasena according to the Mahabodhivamsa.[1] Puranas describe him as kshtrantak[2]"the destroyer of all the Kshatriyas". [3]

Life

The Puranas describe Mahapadma as a son of Mahanandin by a barber from the Shudra caste.[1][4][5] Jain works like Parishishtaparvan and Avashyaka sutra represent him as the son of a courtesan by a barber.[6][1] Curtius, a Roman historian, informs us that

his father was in fact a barber, scarcely staving off hunger by his daily earnings, but who, from his being not uncomely in person, had gained the affections of the queen, and was by her influence advanced to too near a place in the confidence of reigning monarch. Afterwards, however, he treacherously murdered his sovereign, and then, under the pretence of acting as guardian to the royal children, usurped the supreme authority, and having put the young princes to death begot the present king.[7]

— Curtius

Sons of Mahanandin from his other wives opposed the rise of Mahapadma Nanda, on which he eliminated all of them to claim the throne.[5][8]

The Indologist F. E. Pargiter dated Nanda's coronation to 382 BCE, and R. K. Mookerji dated it to 364 BCE.[9] However, H. C. Raychaudhuri places the event c. 345 BCE.[10]

According to Puranas Mahapadma had eight sons.[3] He defeated many kingdoms, including the Panchalas, Kasis, Haihayas, Kalingas,[lower-alpha 1] Asmakas, Kurus, Maithilas, Surasenas and the Vitihotras; to name a few.[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Kalinga (India) formed part of the Nanda Empire but subsequently broke free until it was re-conquered by Ashoka Maurya, c. 260 BCE.[11][12]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Sastri 1988, p. 13.
  2. ↑ "Mahapadmanand : Shudra king of Nand empire". Kings of India. Retrieved 2018-10-10.
  3. 1 2 Mookerji 1988, p. 8.
  4. ↑ Mookerji 1988, p. 7-8.
  5. 1 2 Smith 1999, p. 39.
  6. ↑ Mookerji 1988, p. 14.
  7. ↑ Sastri 1988, p. 14.
  8. ↑ Smith 2008, p. 37.
  9. ↑ Sethna 2000.
  10. ↑ Panda 2007, p. 28.
  11. ↑ Raychaudhuri & Mukherjee 1996, pp. 204-209.
  12. ↑ Raychaudhuri & Mukherjee 1996, pp. 270-271.
  13. ↑ Sastri 1988, p. 17.

References

  • Mookerji, Radha Kumud (1988) [first published in 1966], Chandragupta Maurya and his times (4th ed.), Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0433-3
  • Panda, Harihar (2007), Prof. H.C. Raychaudhuri, as a Historian, Northern Book Centre, ISBN 81-7211-210-6
  • Raychaudhuri, H. C.; Mukherjee, B. N. (1996), Political History of Ancient India: From the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty, Oxford University Press
  • Sastri, K. A. Nilakanta, ed. (1988) [1967], Age of the Nandas and Mauryas (Second ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0465-1
  • Sethna, K. D. (2000), Problems of Ancient India, New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan, ISBN 81-7742-026-7
  • Smith, Vincent A. (1999), The Early History of India (third ed.), Atlantic Publishers and distributors, ISBN 978-81-7156-618-1
  • Smith, Vincent A. (2008) [1906], Jackson, A. V. Williams, ed., History of India, in Nine Volumes, II - From the Sixth Century B.C. to the Mohammedan Conquest, Including the Invasion of Alexander the Great, Cosimo Classics, ISBN 978-1-60520-492-5
Mahapadma Nanda
Preceded by
Mahanandin
(Shishunaga dynasty)		 Nanda Emperor
187–180		 Succeeded by
Dhana Nanda
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